China Issues 11 Standards for Pollution Control of Waste Imported as Raw Material

You are here

February 27, 2018Xiaolu WangBlog

China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) jointly issued a total of 11 Environmental Protection Control Standards for Imported Solid Wastes as Raw Materials on 6 February 2018.

These standards are numbered consecutively from GB 16487.2 through GB 16487.13, with the exception of GB 16487.5, which is not included in the publication notice issued by the authorities. The standards provide pollution control requirements for 11 types of waste that may be imported into China as raw materials. Regulated waste includes waste and scrap of iron and steel, smelt slag, electrical appliance scrap, and wooden article waste. These standards will become effective on 1 March 2018.

Specifically, Environmental Protection Control Standards for Imported Solid Wastes as Raw Materials have been issued by the MEP and the AQSIQ for the following:

  • Smelt Slag (GB 16487.2-2017);
  • Wood and Wood Articles Wastes (GB 16487.3-2017);
  • Waste and Scrap of Paper or Paperboard (GB 16487.4-2017);
  • Waste and Scrap of Iron and Steel (GB 16487.6-2017);
  • Nonferrous Metal Scraps (GB 16487.7-2017);
  • Waste Electric Motors (GB 16487.8-2017);
  • Waste Wires and Cables (GB 16487.9-2017);
  • Metal and Electrical Appliance Scraps (GB 16487.10-2017);
  • Vessels and Other Floating Structures for Breaking Up (GB 16487.11-2017);
  • Waste and Scrap of Plastics (GB 16487.12-2017); and
  • Compressed Piece of Scrap Automobile (GB 16487.13-2017).

The structure of these standards are all very similar. They regulate the following major aspects of imported waste for raw materials:

  • Scope of application, which provides the HS codes of commodities regulated under the concerned standard;
  • Terminologies and definitions;
  • Pollution prevention and control requirements for concerned waste types; and
  • Requirements for the testing and inspection of concerned waste types.

As of 1 March 2018, companies that export certain types of waste into China as raw materials, such as waste and scrap of iron and steel, smelt slag, electrical appliance scrap, and wooden article waste, will be subject to a set of revised pollution prevention and control requirements applicable to these materials, as provided under the GB 16487 series of standards.








Top